General Cancer Signs and Symptoms It is important to know what some of the general (non-specific) signs and symptoms of cancer are. They include unexplained weight loss, fever, fatigue, pain, and changes in the skin. Of course, it’s important to remember that having any of these does not necessarily mean that cancer is present--there are many other conditions that can cause these signs and symptoms as well. Unexplained weight loss: Most people with cancer will lose weight at some time with their disease. An unexplained (unintentional) weight loss of about 10 pounds may be the first sign of cancer, particularly cancers of the pancreas, stomach, esophagus, or lung. Fever: Fever is very common with cancer, but is more often seen in advanced disease. Almost all patients with cancer will have fever at some time, particularly if the cancer or its treatment affects the immune system and reduces resistance to infection. Less often, fever may be an early sign of cancer, such as with Hodgkins disease. Fatigue: Fatigue may be a significant symptom as the cancer progresses. It may occur early, however, especially if the cancer is causing a chronic loss of blood, as in some colon or stomach cancers. Pain: Pain may be an early sign with some cancers, such as bone cancers or testicular cancer. Most often, however, pain is a symptom of advanced disease. Skin changes: In addition to cancers of the skin, some internal cancers can produce visible skin signs such as darkening (hyper-pigmentation) yellowing (jaundice), reddening (erythema), itching, or excessive hair growth. 63,500 AFRICAN AMERICANS WILL DIE FROM CANCER NEXT YEAR! In African Americans, about 130,800 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2005. Further, cancer is the second leading cause of death, surpassed only by heart disease. In general, African Americans with cancer have shorter survival than Whites at all stages of diagnosis. STATISTICAL CANCER FACTS FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS Among African American children, ages 1-14 years, cancer ranks third among the leading causes of death surpassed only by accidents and homicides. BREAST CANCER Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among African American women, exceeded only by lung cancer. In 2001, approximately 19,300 new cases are expected among African American women while 5,800 are expected to die from breast cancer. Despite the stabilization of rates, cancer mortality among African American women is still approximately 28% higher than White women. Colon and rectum cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among both African American men and women. An estimated 6,800 African Americans are expected to die from these types of cancers in 2009. COLON AND RECTUM CANCER African Americans have the highest death rate from colon and rectum cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the US. Death rates for cancer of the colon and rectum among African Americans are about 30% higher than among Whites and more than two times higher than for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Hispanics. For both African American men and women, cancer of the colon and rectum and cancer of the pancreas rank third and fourth as leading causes of cancer death. Colon and rectum cancer are the third most common cancer incidence among African Americans, both men and women. In 2001, 14,100 African Americans (6,500 men and 7,600 women) are expected to be diagnosed with the disease. When colon and rectum cancer among African Americans is detected at a localized stage, the survival rate is 84%; however, only 33% of cancers are detected at a localized stage. According to data for patients diagnosed during 1989-1996, the 5-year relative survival rate from colon and rectum cancer among African Americans was 52%, compared to 62% among Whites. LUNG CANCER Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in African Americans, and is expected to cause 9,800 deaths in men and 6,300 deaths in women in 2001. Cancer of the lung is the second most common cancer in African Americans with about 10,600 African American men and 7,600 African American women expected to be diagnosed with it in 2001. African American men have significantly higher lung cancer incidence rates than other racial and ethnic populations. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among African American men with approximately 6,100 African American men expected to die from it in 2001. PROSTATE CANCER In 2001, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in African American men is expected to be prostate cancer (37%), followed by cancers of the lung (15%), and of the colon and rectum (9%). African American men have far higher death rates from prostate cancer than any other racial or ethnic group. Approximately 25,300 newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer are expected to occur in 2001, accounting for 37% of all cancers diagnosed among African American men. Although prostate cancer incidence rates are high in Whites, the rate for African Americans is 60% higher. Both incidence and mortality rates from lung cancer are higher among African American men than in Whites, even though they begin smoking at an older age and smoke fewer cigarettes per day. During the period 1960-1962, 42% of African American women were overweight, compared with 22% of African American men. By 1998, 64% of African American women were overweight and 32% were characterized as obese. For all cancer sites combined, cancer death rates among African Americans are higher than other racial or ethnic populations in the US. African American women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are less likely than White women to survive five years after diagnosis. The rate among African American women is 71%, compared to 86% among Whites. In 1997, African American high school students were somewhat less likely to eat fruits and vegetables and more likely to eat high-fat foods compared to White students. National data suggests that the prevalence of smoking among African American youth is on the rise. According to the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBSS), cigarette smoking increased in 1999 among African American high school students approximately 34% among males and 23% among females. Nearly 31% (30.7 %) of African Americans have incomes below the poverty level.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 23:42:17 +0000
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